According to the competition brief, the function of the park are to combine "tranquility, ecology, landscaping, disaster mitigation, carbon reduction and recreation." Callebaut adds a giant green tower into the mix.

The green tower combines and surpasses the nine major indicators defining a green building by law, and intensifies the relation between the building site and the surrounding Taichung Gateway Park, including an environmental integration of the park and the green land, the integration of green vertical platforms, sky gardens and living façades, interaction between human and natural environments. It actively contributes to the development of the use of new sustainable energies (solar and wind generated power, coupled with botanical and bio-technologies), emphasizes cohabitation and respectful attitude in order to reach even higher standards than regular green buildings.

Callebaut described the tower as " new landmark of sustainability, 100% self-sufficient with CO2 zero-emission." Unfortunately, it did not make the short list in stage one of the competition. As a building, it is not a whole lot more real than the dragonfly vertical farm, but there is no question that the man thinks big and knows how to draw. Have a look at all of Vincent Callabaut's projects here.

When Jerry wrote about Vincent Callebaut's proposed vertical farm for New York City, he called it a Locavore Wet Dream; I called it one of the silliest, most overwrought jump-the-shark vertical farm ideas ever